Vitamins

Vitamin supplements can be effective at treating deficiencies in certain nutrients when you’re not getting enough of them from your diet or lifestyle.

Your diet should always be the first place you look to for your vitamin intake, but if you find that you’re struggling to get enough of a certain nutrient, vitamin supplements could help you get back on track.

When choosing your vitamin supplements, we’d recommend asking your doctor or pharmacist for advice that’s tailored to you.

They can help you to assess your lifestyle and nutritional needs and make sure these are met through a balanced diet with food supplements to back up your intake if you need them.

Yes, you can overdose on vitamins and supplements, so it’s important to take care with the supplements you’re taking.

You should not take more than one multivitamin a day.

These products will often contain the same vitamins and this can lead to you accidentally taking too much.

If you’re taking a multivitamin, you should also be very careful if you’re taking any separate singular supplements, such as a vitamin d supplement — you could end up taking too much if these overlap.

You can find out which vitamins and minerals are in your supplements by checking the nutritional values table on the packaging, so make sure you’re never doubling up on any nutrients.

If you have any concerns, make sure to speak to your doctor or pharmacist, just in case.

If you’re taking vitamin D too close to bedtime, it may affect your sleep quality, as high amounts of vitamin D in the body may interfere with the production of melatonin.

However, other studies suggest that having a low amount of vitamin D in your body may lead to a higher amount of disturbances, and reduced sleep quality and duration.

It’s probably easier to take your vitamins along with your morning meal, but until there is concrete evidence, experiment and find a routine that works best for you.

Vitamin supplements usually won’t cause stomach problems like pain, nausea, or diarrhoea.

However, it’s important to note that supplements can have side effects sometimes, and stomach issues can be some of these.

This can happen if you’re sensitive or allergic to any of the ingredients in your supplement or simply because the supplement isn't right for you.

If you experience any side effects after taking a vitamin or supplement, you should speak to your doctor or pharmacist right away and ask for their advice.